Pitching Stories to writers has to be the bit Public relations workers worry about the most. Journalists have a reputation for being nasty, cantankerous types. But, ironically, it is typically the same PR people who make journalists conduct themselves that way.
As a journo I tend to be very hectic. Press deadlines can be amongst the shortest of any trade around the world. The very last thing I want is somebody badgering me with something I don’t need. Even worse, these people annoy you using a report which they don’t seem to understand themselves. Regardless of my own best endeavours, I can’t read thoughts.
The act of pitching is reminiscent of bungee jumping, when you’ve done the appropriate preparation then it’s all downhill after that and the odds are you’ll come out of it unscathed.
Prior to deciding to pick up the phone or send away your news release make certain you’ve ticked off the following:
* Precisely why this particular story is good for the target audience of the writers I’m calling. That’s all journalists care about: how will this benefit their audience, even if it’s just something that will help keep their spirits up whilst they’re caught in a traffic jam or in an airport waiting for a jet;
* Have a clear top line for the story. What’s the one most significant fact that you want to put in floodlights? **Remember** This isn’t what will automatically be the point that makes your organisation look the most impressive…it’s got to be the detail that will interest the audience the most . (Happily these things are generally inseparable inside a good story about a business). This specific phase is all about getting that interview booked in (or, indeed, carried out immediately). When you’ve got past this hurdle you can say anything you like;
* Be aware of your subject matter.You have to be in a position to answer more or less any reasonable query within your story…It’s your story after all;
* When you’re looking to arrange an interview with a journalist, whether it is TV, radio, on the internet or print, ensure you are actually available to do it.
In a nutshell, getting the journalist interested is everything. You’d need to genuinely, really do something disastrous, like swear at a journo or insult them in some manner to turn them off a story that they want. When a writer likes a story, it really is – or really should be – like a doggy with a bone, because that’s information which can be used and provided for their target audience, if you like, so they won’t give up on it.
Journalists’ careers live and die by their connections and the tips they give. If you carry out this appropriately you will be a helping hand, not an obstacle.
Timing is important when PR is involved. This means you have to have a vague understanding of when the right time to pitch is.
If you’re phoning up a daily newspaper, don’t contact them at the end of the day when they’re usually on deadline. That will make journos irritated, as previously mentioned. Contact them in the morning, contact them early afternoon, just after lunchtime. People are a bit more laid back.
If it’s the local weekly, by way of example, you can be pretty sure the paper went to the printers a day or two before it turned up on the high street). Consequently try to give them a call towards the beginning of their week if at all possible. That’s when they’re staring in despair at the unfilled pages and wondering what on earth they’re going to put in.
If it’s a website or blog, you can most likely pitch to them any time you want.
In addition, have everything prepared when you phone:
* Fully understand your most important handful of points clearly and practise delivering these to somebody else to make sure of clarity;
* if somebody says on the phone, right, we’d love to come down and film tomorrow, or we’d like more detail, you need to have that at the ready. You can’t be stalling them whilst you put it all together;
* You are able to say to writers that your story is ‘under embargo’ until a particular date that best suits you – generally midnight at the start of the day you’ve picked (in spite of this, they have got nothing aside from a moral obligation to adhere to that).
* Timing can also be key in relation to what other news Is going on. Look around and ask if the story is going to be blown away by the flood of news reports currently out there.
Alternatively you could get someone else to organise the whole thing on your behalf.
Are you presently associated with a trade association or similar? Good associations tend to serve as lobby groups and so are regularly searching for small organisations who can demonstrate a certain point. If you are a recruitment advisor and there is a news story about mounting joblessness, then let them know you could potentially talk about that ‘from the coal face’.
Acquiring case studies such as this is often rather difficult for journos and they often contact industry bodies to seek assistance. If you’re associated with one of those groups then it pays to let that organization know that you would be happy to say a few words about a particular issue.
Your pitch may not come off the first time, even the first couple of times – however extraordinary and time consuming it has been. Attempting to second guess journalists is impossible. I most certainly am unable to do it. Many’s the time I’ve pitched articles to an editor that I assumed were a dead certainty, simply to be told they weren’t interested.
Hopefully, as somebody who is part of a small company, you will be made from sterner stuff than most. Being knocked back is a common element of professional life. But please be sure to persevere, because using the media to your benefit can make a massive difference to your firm.
A final, heartening thought. Most people – including journos – possess a soft spot with regard to individuals working away attempting to build up their company. A hack will probably be impressed you’ve put the hard work in to help yourself and will give you a much easier time compared to what they would give a Public relations agency.
The author: Michael Millar offers PR advice for small businesses at howtopr.co.uk, a free blog for business owners who want to boost their brand by doing their own PR work. Visit the site to get free guides on everything from writing press releases to surviving a hostile interview. Michael also presents How To PR, an 80 minute film about PRing your small business.
